PM: Open Issue
When to Use
When you discover a problem that needs engineering attention.
PM Role
Open the issue. Don't solve it.
- •Report symptoms — What's broken? What's the impact?
- •Set urgency — P0/P1/P2 based on impact
- •Define acceptance — What does "fixed" look like? (outcome-based)
- •Hand off — Engineers investigate root cause and propose fix
Issue Template
---
to: {engineer}
type: issue
priority: P{0|1|2}
created: {timestamp}
---
# {Short problem description}
## Expected
{What should happen}
## Actual
{What's happening instead}
## Impact
{Who/what is affected, severity}
## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] {Outcome 1}
- [ ] {Outcome 2}
Core Rule
PM raises problems. Eng solves them.
- •PM states: expected vs actual
- •PM defines: what "fixed" looks like
- •Eng investigates: why it broke
- •Eng proposes: how to fix it
After Handoff
- •Stakeholder in RCA — Engineers lead, PM participates
- •Verify understanding — Ask until you understand:
- •How exactly the problem happened
- •How exactly the proposed solution resolves it
- •Don't accept hand-wavy fixes — "We'll refactor" is not a root cause
Anti-Patterns
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| PM writes root cause analysis | Engineer writes, PM reviews |
| PM proposes implementation | PM defines outcome, engineer proposes how |
| "Fix cn sync" (vague) | "27 messages reach input.md" (outcome) |
| Accepting fix without understanding | Ask questions until it clicks |
MCA
The minimum issue contains:
- •What's broken (symptoms)
- •How bad (impact/priority)
- •What success looks like (acceptance)
Everything else is engineering's job.
Asking Humans for Decisions
When escalating to or asking a human for a decision:
Know your MCA. Do it. Only ask if genuinely uncertain.
❌ Wrong: "What should I do?" ❌ Wrong: "Should I do X or Y?" ❌ Wrong: "My MCA is X. Agree?" (still asking permission) ✅ Right: Just do it. ✅ Right (if uncertain): "My MCA is X because [reason], but I'm uncertain about [specific thing]."
Default behavior: Act on your MCA. Human will correct if needed.
Only ask when:
- •Stakes are high (irreversible, external-facing, security-sensitive)
- •You're genuinely uncertain and can articulate why
- •You lack context you can't get yourself
Example (certain):
"Sigma delivered P1 fix. Reviewed, looks sound. Merging now." (Then merge. Don't wait for approval.)
Example (uncertain):
"Option A is safer, Option B is faster. I'd lean A but this is your risk tolerance call." (Genuine uncertainty — asking is appropriate.)
If you don't know enough to have an MCA, say what's missing:
"Can't form an MCA — I need to know [X] first."